12/08/2025
On Saturday night, eight of our team went along to the Qld Law Society Gala Awards Night at City Hall, where Evans Brandon Family Lawyers was a finalist in the pro bono team of the year category.
We were accompanied by our nominee, Brett Thompson, who is the CEO of the Homicide Victims' Support Group and his partner, Emma Thompson, who is the CEO of Ronald McDonald House (a true not-for-profit power couple).
Whilst we remained just finalists, and were beaten to the award by McCullough Robertson (congrats to their pro bono team on the gong), our team got a fair bit of inspo from the various speeches from the category winners.
Every finalist was asked to prepare to be in a position to say a few short words. Mine included, "Our pro bono work is quiet, undertaken as much as possible in the dead of night or early morning or weekends, so as we still make bank in our very small firm. When it emerges into the light of day, it's usually in a critical incident list case in the family law jurisdiction. Those cases are statistically usually linked to the death by murder of a young child's Mother - their primary carer."
Our pro bono work involves receiving clients in major crisis, major grief and responding to a legal issue they never thought they would face.
I mean who would think one day a daughter, sister or mother might be murdered and they are suddenly gone leaving behind infant children?
My short speech intended to turn the spotlight onto our nominees for the award, the Qld Homicide Victims' Support Group, who leap into action when a homicide happens (all too often). They have a small but mighty paid labour force and some amazing volunteers (many of whom have suffered the grief of the loss of a close family member to a homicide and are helping others notwithstanding their own loss).
They are amazing people - who help make things easier for people who are impacted by major unexpected grief.
What they will continue to need is professional pro bono people willing to roll up their sleeves. If you can offer support of any kind, please consider putting your name forward to them (https://qhvsg.org.au/).
Pictured are part of the Evans Brandon Family Lawyers team, with Brett and Emma Thompson, representing Qld Homicide Victims Support Group, our nominees for pro bono law firm of the year.